One of the basic problems with conventional wire terminals is that they are subject to default through vibration. This means that in a building where many wire terminals may be used, and in particularly in industrial type buildings, ambient vibrations in the structure are present which are induced by, for instance, air conditioning, heating or other machinery. Conventional wire terminals, because they have a tapered-type design in which a number of wires are forced together and wedged in a cap-held conical spring, have a tendency to come off due to vibration in which the terminal rotates counter-clockwise over time. If the terminal does not come off, it can loosen up, and as a result, the electrical integrity of the connection is compromised. This produces hot spots and other types of faults which sometimes can be particularly difficult to trace.
Moreover, in conventional wire terminals, the plastic insulating outer housing works as a tight girdle to restrain the tapered helical spring electrical member from expanding in a radial direction. This spring is basically seated against the outer walls of the insulator and is prevented from movement in any direction. Moreover, the spring has a closed end which limits how far the wires can be pushed into the terminal. The closure of the spring at one end does not permit accommodation of a broad range of wires, and since the spring is unable to move radially, it cannot adjust properly to the number of wires which have been inserted, thereby even further limiting the size and range of wires to be connected. Moreover, by its very construction, the conventional wire terminal also tends to create a tapered helical girdle into which the wires are inserted which produces a force component which attempts to push the wires out of the wire terminal.